After 20 Years: What is the Value of Repealing the U.S. Authorization for the Invasion of Iraq?

A committee of the U.S. Senate has announced its support for legislation that aims to repeal two authorizations for wars previously waged by the United States in Iraq, paving the way for a possible vote in the full Senate ahead of the twentieth anniversary of the last American invasion of Iraq. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 13 to 8 in favor of a bill to repeal the authorizations for the use of military force in Iraq from 1991 and 2002, in a last attempt to reaffirm Congress's role in making decisions about sending American troops to fight abroad. Senator Tim Kaine, who leads the efforts to repeal the authorizations, stated that there is no point in keeping them on the books. He mentioned in an interview with Reuters, "Iraq was an enemy in 2002... but they have since become security partners. We are working with Iraq to defeat ISIS and continue to guard against terrorist activity." Legislators have long voiced concerns over Congress ceding much of its authority to the president regarding the deployment of troops abroad by passing authorizations that have been used by presidents to justify military actions worldwide. According to the Constitution, only Congress—not the president—has the authority to declare war.